WRIT 104: The Sonnet

This guide introduces some starting places for your research for this course. I'm happy to meet with you to help with any part of the research process, from finding and evaluating sources to understanding how to cite them.

Make an appointment with me!

There are three major ways to find sources in the Wellesley College Library. Learn more about each and get started searching below!

• SuperSearch
• the library databases
• the library catalog

You'll find all of these on the Wellesley College Libraries homepage as well as on this guide.

SuperSearch...

• is a Google-like search of many of our library resources.
• can be a good place to start your library research and discover information on any topic.
• contains information for over a half a billion sources including books, book chapters, eBooks, journal and newspaper articles, government documents, maps, music recordings, videos, and more.

Because SuperSearch contains so much content from so many different kinds of sources, the results can sometimes be overwhelming and hard to focus. At the same time, SuperSearch doesn't contain everything the library has, so it can miss key sources. To search with more focus, precision, and depth, try some of the databases and other resources recommended on this guide.
 

What is a database?

Databases are resources that contain information that is structured and organized to make it easier to search and access.

The most common kind of library databases contain articles from academic journals and other publications, but there are many kinds of databases--databases for images, videos, data, news, and more!
 

Why should I use a library database?

• Not everything can be found in SuperSearch! Articles and books in some databases don't show up in SuperSearch.  
• Databases are often specialized by subject area (such as literature, history, sociology, etc.).
  • Searching in subject-specific databases focuses your search and helps you find more relevant sources. 
  • Subject-specific databases often offer special filters or search features designed to help researchers in that subject find what they need.
    • For example, in a history database, you might be able to limit your results to those covering a particular historical period.
• Databases contain information not available through general internet search engines (such as Google).
  • Many articles that are usually behind paywalls can be accessed through library databases. Wellesley College subscribes to over 300 different databases!

• See the Search Tips & Tutorials page of this guide to learn strategies for searching these databases.
• See our full Databases list and filter by Subject to find good starting points in any discipline.

Why search the library catalog?

The library catalog is another way to search for books, ebooks, and videos. Searching the catalog will give you a more focused set of results than searching for books in SuperSearch. You can also use the subject terms to easily browse related materials.

Start with a keyword search. Once you find a book that's relevant to your topic, click on the title and look for Subjects towards the bottom of the page to help you find "more like this."

Sample keyword search for

• "narrative theory"

leads to linked subject terms and more books related to this topic:

• Narration (Rhetoric)
• Narratology

Not finding enough? Search WorldCat and request books through Interlibrary Loan.

Can't find what you're looking for at Wellesley?

Use WorldCat Discovery to search and request directly from libraries worldwide via Interlibrary Loan.

Questions? Interlibrary Loan Guide

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

See more Cambridge Companions related to poets and poetry. Many of these are available and searchable in the Literature Online database.